The invention relates to a patient positioning device with a pedestal on which a patient positioning plate is mounted for longitudinal displacement, and with at least one signal transmission device which is connected via a cable to a fixed point elsewhere on the apparatus.
A patient positioning device of this kind is used for example to introduce a patient into a magnet for making magnetic resonance images. For the deflection of certain particles, e.g. protons, a radio-frequency transmitting and receiving coil is used which, after cutoff of the excitation pulse, forms a signal caused by the return of the excited particles to their initial (unexcited) positions. For measurement in the pateient's head region, for example, this coil is placed over the head and is then connected to a fixed point on the apparatus by a flexible cable. If this flexible cable leads directly to the fixed point, the cable may hit the edge of the magnet and be damaged as the patient positioning plate is moved into the magnet. Also, the attending personnel are hindered by the cable.
One object of the invention is to design a patient positioning device in such a way that the cable between the signal transmission device and the fixed apparatus part is short and does not interfere with the examination procedure.
Another object is to generally improve on the prior art.
According to the invention, there is mounted on at the patient positioning plate at least one plug device to which one end of the cable may be connected. From the plug device, a cable securely installed on the patient positioning plate leads to the fixed point, the cable forming a loop to permit longitudinal displacement of the patient positioning plate. The fixed point is located in the region of the pedestal, so that the cable which is installed between it and the plug device and which moves along with the longitudinal displacement of the patient positioning plate is not in the way. The cable between the signal transmission device and the plug device is kept short and does not lead away from the patient positioning device, thus avoiding hinderence to attending personnel before and during the examination.
The invention will be better understood with reference to the following drawings and the detailed description of preferred embodiments.